Micro-robot for colonoscope with motor locomotion and system for colonoscope using the same

• US 20020156347A1
• Filed: 11/14/2001
• Published: 10/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Original Assignee: Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology
• Inventors: Lim, Young Mo, Lee, Young Jae, Kim, Soo Hyun, Kim, Byungkyu, Park, Jong-Oh, Hong, Yeh-Sun
• Granted Patent: US 6,648,814 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/160
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/00156 using self propulsion
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 1/041 Capsule endoscopes for imaging
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 34/72 Micromanipulators

Abstract

A micro-robot for colonoscope with motor locomotion comprises an information detecting unit for obtaining information of the interior of the colon and a driving unit for generating its own locomotion and moving the information detecting unit without causing any damages to the walls of the colon.

Claims

1. A micro-robot for colonoscope with motor locomotion, comprising:

an information detecting unit for obtaining information of the interior of the colon; and

a driving unit for generating its own locomotion and moving the information detecting unit without causing any damages to the walls of the colon.

2. The micro-robot according to claim 1, wherein said micro-robot further comprising:

a controlling unit for controlling the information detecting unit and the driving unit;

a power supplying unit for supplying power to the information detecting unit, the driving unit and the controlling unit.

3. The micro-robot according to claim 1, wherein said information detecting unit comprising:

a lighting emitting unit for emitting a light in the interior of the colon;

a camera for taking images the interior as the lighting emitting unit lighten; and

a plurality of sensors for detecting pressure or force which the micro-robot applies to the interior of the colon.

4. The micro-robot according to claim 1, wherein said driving unit comprising:

a front driving unit for generating a first locomotion and moving in the colon according to the locomotion, which installs the information detecting unit thereon;

a rear driving unit for generating a second locomotion and moving in the colon corresponding to the movement of the front driving unit, wherein the rear and front driving units are connected with each other in a predetermined distance; and

a steering unit for relatively controlling the front and rear driving units and changing the advancing direction of the micro-robot, which is positioned between the front and rear driving units.

5. The micro-robot according to claim 4, wherein said front driving unit comprising:

a first motor for generating the first locomotion;

a set of first wheels for rotating by the first locomotion; and

a first driving force transmission unit for transmitting the first locomotion to the set of the first wheels.

6. The micro-robot according to claim 5, wherein said all the set of first wheels are rod-shape wheels having hemisphere or sphere at both the ends of each wheel.

7. The micro-robot according to claim 4, wherein said rear driving unit comprising:

a second motor for generating the second locomotion;

a set of second wheels for rotating by the second locomotion; and

a second driving force transmission unit for transmitting the second locomotion to the set of the second wheels.

8. The micro-robot according to claim 7, wherein said set of the second wheels are a hemispherical or a spherical around the wheels contacted to the bottom.

9. The micro-robot according to claim 4, wherein said steering unit comprising:

a revolute joint for relatively rotating the front and rear driving units;

a plurality of steering linear actuators for controlling angles between the front and the rear driving units with respect to the revolute joint and thus helping steer the micro-robot; and

a plurality of springs for maintaining the interval between the front and rear driving units and aligning the front and rear driving units in a straight line, provided that the linear actuators do not operate.

10. The micro-robot according to claim 4, wherein said micro-robot further comprising a body supporting unit for fixing the micro-robot on the inner wall of colon, wherein said body supporting unit comprising:

a plurality of supporters for fixing the micro-robot on the inner wall of colon; and

a plurality of fixing linear actuators for fixing the supporters to the inner wall of colon.

11. The micro-robot according to claim 9 and claim 10, wherein said steering linear actuators and fixing linear actuators comprising a pneumatic pressure cylinder operated by air pressure or shape memory alloy and polymer varying its length according to the variation of the supplied power.

12. The micro-robot according to claim 1, wherein said driving unit comprising:

a front driving unit for generating a first locomotion and moving in the colon according to the locomotion, which installs the information detecting unit thereon;

a rear driving unit for generating a second locomotion and moving in the colon corresponding to the movement of the front driving unit; and

a steering unit for connecting the front and rear driving units and steering the micro-robot.

13. The micro-robot according to claim 12, wherein said front driving unit comprising:

a third motor for generating a locomotion;

a plurality of wheels for carrying the front driving unit; and

a third driving force transmission unit for transmitting the locomotion to one of the wheels, which is called as a third wheel.

14. The micro-robot according to claim 13, wherein said wheels are rod-shape wheels having hemisphere or sphere at both the ends of each wheel.

15. The micro-robot according to claim 13, wherein said steering unit comprising:

a first timing belt for connecting the third wheel with the rear driving unit and transmitting the locomotion of the third motor to the third wheel and the rear driving unit; and

a set of first pulleys for being wound by the first timing belt, which are installed at the axis where the third wheel attached and the rear driving unit, respectively.

16. The micro-robot according to claim 12, wherein said rear driving unit comprising:

a fourth motor for generating locomotion;

a plurality of wheels for carrying the rear driving unit; and

a fourth driving force transmission unit for transmitting the locomotion to one of the wheels, which is called as a fourth wheel.

17. The micro-robot according to claim 16, wherein said wheels are rod-shape wheels having hemisphere or sphere at both the ends of each wheel.

18. The micro-robot according to claim 16, wherein said steering unit comprising:

a second timing belt for connecting the fourth wheel with the front driving unit and transmitting the locomotion of the fourth motor to the fourth wheel and the front driving unit; and

a set of second pulleys for being wound by the second timing belt, which are installed at the axis where the fourth wheel attached and the front driving unit, respectively.

20. The system according to claim 19, wherein said micro-robot comprising:

an information detecting unit for detecting the interior of the colon;

a front driving unit for generating a locomotion and moving in the colon according to the locomotion, where the information detecting unit is installed;

a rear driving unit for generating a second locomotion and moving in the colon corresponding to the movement of the front driving unit, wherein the rear and front driving units are connected with each other in a predetermined distance; and

a steering unit for relatively controlling the front driving unit and the rear driving unit and changing the advancing direction of the micro-robot, which is between the front and rear driving units.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein said steering unit comprising:

a revolute joint for relatively rotating the front driving unit and the rear driving unit;

a plurality of linear actuators for controlling angles between the front driving unit and the rear driving unit with respect to the revolute joint and steering the micro-robot; and

a plurality of springs for maintaining the interval between the front and the rear driving unit and aligning the front and rear driving units in a straight line provided that the linear actuators do not operate.,

22. The system according to claim 20, wherein said controlling unit comprising an executive program for controlling the front and rear driving units and the steering units according to the detected signals from the information detecting unit, so that the micro-robot flexibly moves in the colon and obtaining the information of the inner wall of colon.

19. A system for colonoscope using the micro-robot, wherein said system comprising:

a micro-robot for obtaining information of the interior of the colon;

a controlling unit for controlling the micro-robot; and

a power supplying unit for supplying power to the micro-robot and the controlling unit.